The Elevator
by riley-poole27
Summary: Derek and Stiles are neighbours in an apartment building, and the elevator breaks down with them inside. AU. Sterek.
1. Chapter 1

Stiles frantically pressed the buttons, trying in vain to get the elevator to open. He'd been on his way home from work, and had decided to be lazy and take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stiles regretted that decision right now. He swiped his hand across the panel, the numbers lighting up. Stiles rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his anxiety level start to rise.

"Come on, come on," He muttered. _Please don't have a panic attack_, Stiles thought_. Not here, not now_. But all he could think about was the fact that he was trapped in this stupid, metal box, suspended hundreds of feet in the air by metal wires. He found himself gasping a little, the stuffy air suffocating him. He wanted out so badly.

"Okay, you need to sit down or something," The man behind him spoke for the first time in five minutes since the lift had come to a jarring halt. "Jeeze, you're making me anxious just watching you."

Stiles turned around and squinted at him. "We're stuck, in case you haven't noticed. Of course I'm anxious," Stiles told him.

"Sit down."

"Who are you, anyway?" Stiles asked, glaring up at him.

"I'm Derek. I live in 6B." He said, raising an eyebrow. "Who the hell are you?"

Stiles recognized the older man as one of his neighbours, not like he'd ever spoken to him before. They'd passed each other in the lobby and the mail room a few times. Nothing more.

"I – I need to get out of here," Stiles said, concentrating on his breathing. Deep breaths from the belly to calm his anxiety. No shallow breathing that would rise his shoulders in a terrified hitch – that would just make him more panicky.

Derek shouldered past him, and picked up the emergency phone. He held it to his ear. "Hello? Hello?" Derek called. "I think the phone is broken."

"No shit, Sherlock." Stiles said, watching as Derek hung up the phone.

"Pretty sure we're gonna be here for a while," Derek said, smirking a little. "God, I'm starving."

Stiles' stomach rumbled painfully loud. _Ughh, try not to think about the can of Scooby Doo Alphaghetti's in the kitchen cupboard in his apartment. Try not to think about how he hadn't eaten since breakfast, nearly ten hours ago_.

"Don't talk about food right now," Stiles snapped. Derek raised his eyebrows at him. Stiles ducked his head a little. "Sorry, I'm just really hungry."

"I'm Stiles," He said, leaning against the side of the elevator. "I live in 6C."

"I'm Derek Hale, from apartment 6B." The man repeated. That was the apartment right down the hall from Stiles.

"Are you the asshole who keeps playing rock music until two in the morning?" Stiles asked. Derek glared at him.

"That would be my sister, Cora." He said, glaring at Stiles. "She's kind of a night owl."

"Oh."

"Umm . . . maybe she should turn it down a notch?" Stiles suggested. _Oh God_, he thought. _I just called him an asshole. Way to go, Stiles_.

"I'll tell her. She's pretty stubborn though." Derek said.

"Yeah, normally I don't care if people are really loud. I just started a new job, though. I have to get up at like, six in the morning." Stiles explained.

"Where do you work?"

"Call centre, downtown."

"Nice." Derek said, nodding his head a little.


	2. Chapter 2

Derek glanced up at the ceiling, and looked at the emergency lights. "I wonder how long those lights will last until we're plunged into darkness." He mused.

Stiles' eyes grew larger as he thought about the possibility of sitting in the complete darkness for who knows how long.

"Do you have a cellphone?" Stiles asked, urgently, as the lights above them flickered briefly. He frantically searched his own pockets, but Stiles realized he must've left his phone in the jeep. Derek pulled out his phone, and opened it.

"No service." He said, snapping the phone shut. "Damn." Derek slid down the wall, until he was sitting on the grimy carpet, his long jean-clad legs sticking out in front of him.

"We could use your phone as a light source, if the lights die." Stiles told him.

"Yeah," Derek said. "That's true."

Derek patted the carpet beside him, and looked up at Stiles. "Sit down, Stilinski."

"How –how do you know my name?" Stiles asked, surprised.

"That's what your mailbox says. Stilinski." Derek explained. "I saw your name in the mail room the other day." He said. Stiles sat down beside him.

"So, you live with your sister? Older or younger?" Stiles asked, trying to pass time.

"Younger. Do you live alone?"

"No, I live with Scott." Stiles said. "We just moved in a few months ago."

"Boyfriend?"

"Best friend." Stiles corrected.

"Okay." Derek said, playing with his phone.

"You dating anyone? I was dating a girl last year, but we broke it off." Stiles absently picked at the carpet as he talked, trying to pull the wads of gum off the floor.

"No, I'm not dating anyone. "Derek glanced at him. "Please stop, that's disgusting." Derek said with a grimace, watching him pry up the gum. Stiles stopped, and put his hands on his leg. He jiggled them, restlessly tapping out a rhythm.

"Stiles, stop moving." Derek said, annoyed. "Your fidgeting is moving the whole elevator."

Stiles tried to suppress his movements, instead focusing his attention to tapping his foot.

"If we're stuck between floors, then if we move around, we could get the elevator to drop enough to reach our floor. Then you can pry open the doors, and get us the hell out of here." Stiles said, taking in the man's broad shoulders and arms straining in his thin Henley. "You look pretty strong."

"Yeah, or we could plunge to our deaths." Derek said, grimly. He stared up anxiously at the lights again.

"Are you afraid of heights?" Stiles asked. Derek looked at him, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah. But right now I'm also worried we'll crash to our deaths." Derek said.

Stiles resumed his tapping. "What time is it?" He asked.

Derek checked his phone. "Five thirty. It's been half an hour." He said.

"Really? Feels like longer." Stiles said, surprised.


	3. Chapter 3

"You don't happen to have a deck of cards on you, do you?" Stiles asked, hopeful. He was so bored of waiting to be rescued, the initial fear of being trapped had faded after a while.

"No." Derek said.

"Too bad." Stiles said. He stared at the wood panelling, trying to think of a way to occupy his mind. "I spy . . . with my little eye, something that is brown."

Derek rolled his eyes. He hated that stupid game.

"C'mon, guess." Stiles insisted, sitting up on his knees, and looking at Derek expectantly. _C'mon, just play the game, give us something to do_. "Please?"

"No." Derek told him, crossly.

"Guess."

"Umm . . . the walls."

"You are correct, my amigo!" Stiles grinned. "Your turn."

"I spy something blue." Derek said, with little enthusiasm.

"Say it properly."

"I spy. . .with my little eye, something that is blue." Derek told him, glaring at Stiles.

"Your shirt." Stiles said.

"Correct. Game over."

"Truth or Dare?" Stiles suggested, giving Derek a lopsided smile.

"No." Derek told him,

"Earlier when you asked if Scott was my boyfriend, did you think I was gay?" Stiles asked, curious. "I mean, I could be. You never know."

Derek raised an eyebrow, and silently listened to Stiles blabber on.

"Are you gay?" Derek asked.

"I dunno. I've thought about guys sometimes. Who doesn't? But I've never, like kissed a dude before or anything."

Derek looked down at the teenager, and watched as he squirmed a little in his seat.

Stiles said, staring down at his striped sneakers. "I . . . just really wanna ask you something."

"What?" Derek asked.

Derek waited, quietly. Finally, Stiles looked up and made eye contact

"How do you know if you're gay or straight?" Stiles asked, nervously tapping his fingers against the floor.

"Stiles," Derek sighed, looking away for a second. "Shouldn't this be a conversation between you and your dad?"

"Please," Stiles begged, standing up. 'I need to know."

"Well, do you like boys or girls?" Derek asked.

"Girls for sure. But sometimes, when I see a really hot dude . . . well, I like guys too." Stiles admitted.

"Like, fifty-fifty?" Derek asked, tilting his head to look up at Stiles.

"Yeah." He said.

"You could be Bi." Derek told him, seriously.

"How do I know for sure?" Stiles asked, worried.

"Stiles, you've kissed a girl before, right?" Derek interrupted.

"Sure."

"And? Did you like it?" Derek asked.

"Yeah."

"Have you ever kissed a dude?"

"No."

"Do you want to?"

"Why, you offering?" Stiles asked him, suddenly unable to take his eyes off Derek's mouth. The offer was tempting. They were completely isolated, so there was very little chance of anyone interrupting them. Stiles inched closer to Derek, and kissed him on the mouth. Chastely.

He drew back, and looked at Derek. "That was nice." Stiles said.

Derek laughed. "Not quite the kind of kiss I was envisioning." Derek told him. "Something more like this," He said, placing his hands gently on Stiles' face and kissing him softly on the lips. He nibbled lightly on Stiles' lower lip, then slipped his tongue into Stiles' open mouth. He finally broke the kiss, and sat back. Stiles was staring at him, lost for words.

"Good?" Derek asked.

"OH. MY. GOD." Stiles whispered. "I think I'm in love."

Derek laughed. "That good, huh?"

"Jesus Christ, Derek."Stiles said. "It was like, indescribably hot!" He said.

Derek stood up to stretch his limbs. He cracked his neck, and shoulders. "Jeez, I'm so stiff."

"We have to do something. We could be here all night long!" Stiles told him, watching as Derek bent backward to pop his back.

"Try sleeping." Derek told him. "That's a quiet activity."

"Very funny." Stiles said, sarcastically. "Maybe we should scream for help. Someone might here us in the hallway, and call the fire department!" He jumped to his feet, and started to pound the metal door with his fists.

"HELP! WE'RE TRAPPED! HELP!" Stiles shouted, stopping to press his ear against the door. He listened intently for a response. "HELP! HELP!" He tried again.

Stiles turned around, and glanced back at Derek. "Can you help me pry open the doors? Maybe if we're between floors, one of us could crawl out and get help."

Derek walked beside him, and sticking his fingers into the metal groove. He struggled to open it. He managed to yank it open a few inches. Derek took a step back, as he realized that they were facing a concrete wall.

"We must be between floors," Stiles said, in a small voice. "No wonder nobody could hear us when we shouted for help." His heart sinking, Stiles sat back down.

"And it's the long weekend. Tons of people are out camping, and enjoying the warm weather while they can. The parking lot was nearly empty when I drove home." Derek pointed out, gingerly sitting beside his neighbour. He had a defeated look on his face, as he looked around the empty elevator for the thousandth time. He just wanted to get out of there, and go home.


	4. Chapter 4

The lights flickered and went out, and Stiles' heart skipped a beat as they were plunged into frightening darkness. Derek cursed as he pulled out his cellphone and flipped it open.

Stiles stood up, and started to pace back and forth in the tiny box, biting anxiously on his thumbnail as he walked.

"At least I'm not trapped in the elevator alone. That would've been way more terrifying." Stiles admitted, watching as Derek picked up the emergency phone receiver and listened. It was still dead, unfortunately.

Derek looked up and spied the emergency hatch on the ceiling. Stiles looked up and frowned.

"What are you thinking?" He asked, as Derek reached up and pried it open. The panel fell down on its' hinges, revealing a darkened yawning hole.

Derek got down on one knee, and laced his fingers. "C'mon, I'll give you a boost," He said. Stiles stared at him.

"I'm not going up there. You're insane." Stiles said, backing up. "What if I get electrocuted or crushed, or something?"

"Stiles, you're lighter and smaller then me. I'm going to boost you up. You can do this." Derek said, impatiently.

"No, I can't." Stiles said, his voice panicky.

Derek gave him a pointed look, and raised his eyebrows. "Please. Go up there and try and bang on the door. See if the phone has reception up there."

Stiles put his sneaker into Derek's laced fingers, and Derek boosted him up to the gaping hole. Stiles scrambled onto the roof of the elevator, and reached his hand into the elevator. Derek passed him the cell phone.

He opened it, and checked the reception. One bar! His eyes lit up.

"Dude, we have reception!" Stiles said, excitedly, as he lay on his stomach to talk to Derek. "I'm gonna call my dad."

He dialed the police station, and shouted joyfully when he got someone on the line.

"Diane, hey, could you transfer me to Sheriff Stilinski?" Stiles asked dispatch. He waited a minute, until his dad was picked up.

"Dad. I'm stuck in the elevator at my apartment. Could you – Hello? Hello?" Stiles held the phone away from his ear, and sighed. "Great." He said, sarcastically.

"Call my sister!" Derek told him. Stiles went through Derek's contacts, and dialed Cora's number.

"She's not picking up!" Stiles said. He ended the call, and looked down at the phone. No reception.

"Aww, damn it. I was just gonna call Scott." Stiles said, frowning.

"Stiles? What do you see up there?" Derek called up. "Can you get help?"

Stiles held Derek's phone high over his head, partially illuminating the elevator shaft. He could see the door leading to the fourth floor a few feet above him. Just out of reach. He used the light to see that there was a tiny ledge just under the doorway. Using the metal bar attached to the wall, he could try and jump. Then he could bang on the door, and hopefully someone would hear him.

Stiles peered over the edge, trying to ignore the fact that he could easily fall to his death if he wasn't careful. He carefully put the phone down, and jumped. He managed to grab the metal bar, and hoist himself up onto the ledge. Stiles banged his fist against the closed door, and started to shout.

"HELP! HELP! WE'RE TRAPPED IN HERE!" He shouted, jumping back down onto the elevator. It lurched under him, and dropped a few feet. Stiles fell onto his hands and knees, scraping his palms. He watched in horror as Derek's phone skittered across the floor, and dropped off the side. He winced as he heard the phone shatter on the concrete below.

"WAS THAT MY PHONE?" Derek shouted, angrily. "STILES!"

Stiles crawled forward, and stuck his head back into the elevator. "Sorry," He apologized.

The elevator shuddered, and plummeted a few more feet, and Stiles fell head-first into the pitch-black elevator. He hit the floor, painfully landing on his back. Stiles could hear Derek screaming, terrified.

"We're gonna die!" Derek hollered, clutching Stiles' hand.


	5. Chapter 5

When the elevator stopped moving, Stiles unclenched his eyes, and stared out into the darkness. He couldn't see anything. Derek was still squeezing his hand painfully tight. Stiles used his free hand to check his body for injuries. He had a bruise on his forehead, but thankfully, he wasn't bleeding.

"Holy shit," Stiles said, reaching out in the darkness. His hand found Derek's thigh, and he pushed himself up to a sitting position. He could hear Derek breathing harshly beside him. "That was terrifying. I thought we were going to die."

"How far do you think we fell?" Derek asked. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

Derek let go of Stiles' hand, and closed his eyes as he was hit by a wave of nausea. Luckily, it passed. He leaned against the wall, eyes still closed.

"You're not gonna throw up, are you?" Stiles asked him. "The smell will probably make me puke, too."

"No, I think i'm good now." Derek told him, as his stomach settled.

"You hurt?" Stiles asked, concerned.

"Not really." Derek answered. "What about you?"

"My back is killing me," Stiles said, groaning as he reached back and felt his bruised skin. "I wish I the lights hadn't died."

Derek wished he had his phone with him. The tiny square of light had been comforting.

"I can't believe you broke my phone." Derek said, irritated. _I've lost all the pictures of my friends, Cora, and my cousin Malia, Peter's daughter. Those are irreplaceable._ "I told you to be careful."

"It was an accident, I told you." Stiles said. "When I jumped down onto the elevator, and it started to drop, the phone went off the edge. I'm sorry."

Derek sighed. "Yeah, well. That was our only light source."

Stiles inched closer to Derek, putting his back against the wall. He instantly regretted it, as pain radiated through his upper body. He made a small whimpering sound.

"Are you crying?" Derek asked, reaching out and fumbling, touching Stiles' face. Stiles drew back, surprised.

"Dude, I'm not crying. I'm just really sore from falling into the elevator." He said.

"Oh, okay." Derek said.

"Do you think your dad is going to come get us?" Derek asked, hopeful.

"I hope so. He kept cutting out, though. I'm not sure he even heard me before we got disconnected." Stiles told him. He was struggling to find a comfortable position. Finally, he settled on leaning against Derek's shoulder.

"You're gonna owe me a new phone." Derek said. "As soon as we get out of here."

"I'll buy you a new one." Stiles said, closing his eyes. "But i'm not buying a piece of crap flip phone for you. You need something more modern, like an iphone or something."

Derek frowned. "Those things are so complicated. I like something a bit more simplistic." He said.

"You sound like an old man," Stiles smiled. "Look, I'll teach you how to use it, they're really not that hard."

"We'll see." Derek told him.

"Okay, grandpa." Stiles teased.

"I'm not that old." Derek said. "You wanna put your head in my lap?"

"I'm not sucking your dick, Derek." Stiles told him, tiredly. Derek's eyes widened.

"Oh, God." He said, laughing. "No. I meant – my lap might be more comfortable than the floor, if you wanted to get some sleep."

"Yeah, sure." Stiles said, laying his head against Derek's thigh. He curled up against him, and closed his eyes.

"So . . . that kiss was pretty amazing." Stiles said. "Wanna try again later?"

Derek rolled his eyes, and laughed. "Stiles, gauging from your reaction earlier, I'm guessing it's safe to say you are not entirely straight."

"We could still kiss again, though." Stiles said, biting his lip. "If you want."

"Yes, we could, but not to prove your orientation. Just to kiss." Derek said.

"Do you want to go out for coffee or something after we get out of here?" He asked.

"Yeah," Derek said. "Or dinner."

"Dinner would be good. I could go with a nice steak or something." Stiles said, imagining a large, juicy steak, and a baked potato. Maybe a glass of wine, and a Caesar salad.


	6. Chapter 6

Derek slowly played with Stiles' hair, as he talked. "Steak would be nice," He said, smiling. "Or a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs, with parmesan cheese." Derek said, imagining the most delicious pasta he could muster.

"Ice cream for dessert?" Stiles asked, his eyes still closed.

"Sure," Derek said. "And apple pie." His mouth was salivating as he imagined the food.

"Lemonade, too." Stiles said. "And grilled cheese sandwiches," his voice slurring a little as drifted off.

Stiles shivered, and stuck his hands deep in his sleeves. He felt cold, even with his two layers. Derek reached down and put his hand on Stiles' hoodie, feeling his chest slowly rise and fall as he slept.

Though Derek couldn't see him, he could hear Stiles' even breathing. He closed his eyes. Derek must have dozed off, because when he woke up, the first thing he noticed was that Stiles was no longer lying beside him. He felt around in the inky blackness.

"Stiles?" He called out. "Where'd you go?"

"Right here," Stiles said, his voice close to Derek. "I needed to stretch out."

Derek reached out again, his hand brushing against Stiles' soft hoodie –clad form lying on his stomach a few feet away. He carefully laid down beside him, Derek's face resting on his folded arms.

"What time do you think it is?" Stiles asked, yawning.

"I don't know." Derek whispered. They lay in silence for a few minutes, interrupted by a deep growling sound coming from Derek's stomach.

"Please tell me that was your stomach," Stiles said, half-asleep. "And not some angry animal in here with us."

"It was my stomach." Derek told him, laughing.

"Good to know." Stiles said, rubbing his eyes.

Derek rolled onto his side, and draped his arm across Stiles' lower back.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" Derek asked, remembering Stiles' bruises.

"No." Stiles answered, turning his head towards Derek's voice. He could smell a mixture of the musty carpet, and Derek's aftershave. He inhaled deeply, and smiled.

"You owe me a kiss," Stiles said. "Now's a pretty good time."

Derek leaned closer, and bumped ungraciously against Stiles' cheek as he attempted to find his mouth in the dark.

Stiles sat up, and slid his hand underneath Derek's shirt as they kissed. He could feel Derek's warm skin, and the ridges of his muscled torso. He reached further upwards, and rubbed his thumb against Derek's right nipple.

Derek broke off the kiss, and pulled Stiles' hand out from his shirt. "Sorry, your hands are freezing," he explained, as he brought Stiles' fingers to his mouth and kissed them gently. Derek enveloped Stiles' hands with his own, and tried to warm them up.

Derek heard a loud thumping noise outside of the elevator, followed by a man's voice.

"Did you hear that?" He whispered.

"Yeah."

There was a loud screech as the metal doors were pried open. Derek and Stiles squeezed their eyes shut, temporarily blinded. The elevator was filled with light from the hallway. When Stiles opened his eyes half a minute later, he was relieved to see Sheriff Stilinski standing in the hallway beside the building's custodian.

"Hey, son," The Sheriff said, beaming at him.

"Oh, thank god." Stiles said, as his dad pulled him close into a swaying hug. Sheriff Stilinski had always been a really great hugger, and Stiles was glad to feel his dad's comforting arms tightly gripping him. When Stiles drew back, his dad noticed with concern the bruise on his son's forehead.

"Are you okay?" the Sheriff asked, gently lifting Stiles' hair to get a closer look at the injury.

"I'm fine," Stiles told him, turning around to look for Derek. He saw him standing awkwardly a few feet away, watching as the custodian affixed the 'out of service' sign on the elevator doors with a few large pieces of duct tape.

"That's my neighbour, Derek Hale. He lives next door." Stiles told his dad.

Derek nodded at Stiles' dad. "Thanks for getting us out of there."

"Well, if it hadn't been for your phone call, Stiles, I never would have known you two were trapped." The Sheriff admitted, placing a hand on Derek's shoulder. "I'm just glad you are safe."


	7. Chapter 7

Stiles' stomach rumbled loudly. _Maybe if it wasn't too late, he could go out with Derek to a restaurant._, He thought. _ Or order a pizza_.

"What time is it, anyway?" Stiles asked, squinting up at his dad.

The Sheriff checked his watch. "It's just past one in the morning," He said. Stiles groaned.

"So much for our dinner plans," He said, raising his eyebrows at Derek. "It's too late to go on our date, now."

"Well, there's always tomorrow night." Derek told him, blushing a little as the Sheriff looked from Derek to his son in surprise.

"Am I missing something here?" the Sheriff asked, confused. "Did you say date?"

Stiles gave his dad a crooked smile. "Yeah, I did." He said, glancing at Derek for affirmation. Derek nodded.

"You're dating _him_?" the Sheriff said, looking a bit confused. "I thought you were into girls."

"Dad, I'm bi." Stiles said, nervously fidgeting, his hands clasped in front of him.

Sheriff Stilinski pulled his son into another hug. "You know I love you, no matter what." He said.

"Yeah," Stiles said, into his dad's shoulder. "I know."

"Sir, I'm taking your son out to dinner tomorrow night." Derek said.

The Sheriff went back out to his car, and drove home. It was late, and he had to get up early the next morning for work. Stiles and Derek took the stairs, eager to get home. Stiles fished his keys out of his pocket, and went inside his apartment. _Scott must already be asleep, all the lights are off._

He quietly took off his sneakers and turned on the kitchen light. Stiles was in the process of pulling out various leftovers from the fridge, when he heard a knock on the door. Stiles yanked open the door, and saw Derek standing in the hall.

"Hey," Stiles said. "I was just looking for something to eat. Come in?" He asked, stepping back to let Derek past.

"Actually, I was thinking if you want to come over to my place. I take it Scott's home?" Derek asked, glancing around the messy living room. "Cora left a note on the fridge, she's staying at her boyfriend's tonight. I've got the apartment to myself."

Stiles grinned at him. "Is that so?" He asked, stuffing the leftovers back in the fridge. He followed Derek down the hall. Derek's apartment was much better decorated than his and Scott's. There was tasteful art on the walls, and a large, leather couch in front of the flat-screen TV. There were a few sturdy bookcases in the living room, double-stacked with novels.

"Nice," Stiles commented, tilting his head to the side to read the titles. Stephen King, Dostoyevsky, Tolkien, Bronte. The collection was huge. Stiles grinned when his fingers raked across the spines of the Harry Potter series, and Game of Thrones.

"These all yours?" He asked.

"Yup," Derek nodded. "Mostly. Some of them belong to Cora."

"Impressive."

"Thanks."

Stiles sniffed the air. "What are you cooking?" He asked. Whatever it was, it smelled amazing.

"I'm making beef stir-fry and egg rolls. You want some?" Derek asked. Stiles nodded.

"Sure."

"It's gonna take another fifteen minutes." Derek told him. "You wanna watch some TV?"

Derek handed him the TV remote, and disappeared into the kitchen. Stiles curled up on the couch, and started to channel surf.


	8. Chapter 8

"Here," Derek said, handing Stiles a large bowl of food and a pair of chopsticks. Stiles gratefully took the bowl of stir fry from Derek's grasp. He picked up the chopsticks, and deftly brought a piece of carrot to his lips.

"It's so good," Stiles told him, as he devoured the food. "You're a great cook."

"Thanks," Derek said, sitting down beside him. They ate in silence for a few minutes. When they were done, Derek took the dishes and put them in the sink.

"Do you want some ice cream?" Derek called out. "We have chocolate."

"Okay," Stiles said, following Derek into the kitchen. They each took a few spoonfuls.

Derek draped his arm around Stiles' shoulder, as they watched the sitcom. He smiled to himself as Stiles leaned into him, grabbing Derek's hand. Stiles yawned, as he watched the show. He tried to concentrate on staying awake, his eyelids drooped a few times. He consciously tried to keep himself awake. Stiles' chin dropped to his chest, and he started awake.

"What time is it?" Stiles asked, looking blearily at Derek.

"Two thirty." Derek told him, turing off the TV. "I'm going to bed."

Stiles stood up and stretched, and walked towards the front door.

"You can sleep here if you want," Derek told him. "Do you work tomorrow?"

"No," Stiles said. "Day off, thankfully."

"Come on," Derek said, walking down the hall. "My room's on the end of the hall."

Derek pulled his shirt over his head, and threw it onto the laundry basket. He set his alarm clock for Ten AM, and slid between the sheets. Stiles sprawled comfortably across the middle of Derek's bed, and closed his eyes. They were both fast asleep within minutes.

When Stiles woke up the next morning, he was met with the tantalizing smell of bacon and eggs. He walked down to the kitchen, and sat down at the table.

"Morning," Derek said, setting two pieces of bread into the toaster.

Stiles brushed a hand through his long hair, and yawned. He was not a morning person. Normally, he was barely coherent until he'd had his morning coffee.

"Had a good sleep?" Derek asked him, sliding a plate in front of Stiles.

"Yeah," Stiles said. "Your bed is so comfortable."

He toyed with his scrambled eggs, as he watched Derek cook the bacon.

They both heard the door open. Cora dumped her jacket and purse on the couch, and sunk down into the cushions. She looked up and saw Stiles at the table.

"Who are you?" Cora asked, surprised.

"Stiles." He told her. "I'm your neighbour."

"_Ooo -kay_," She said. "And you just popped in for breakfast?"

"Actually, I stayed overnight." Stiles said.

Cora raised her eyebrows. "Interesting. Where'd you two meet?"

"In the elevator," Derek said, handing her a plate of food. "We were stuck in there for a few hours last night, when the damned thing broke down. Luckily, Stiles' dad rescued us."

Cora sat down beside Stiles, and started to mop her runny eggs with a piece of bread.

"Are you a one-night stand kind of thing, or are you more of a permanent fixture now?" Cora asked. "Just wondering."

"I'm not a one-night stand kind of guy," Stiles said, blushing furiously.

"I'm taking Stiles out for our first date tonight. We're going out to dinner." Derek told her, placing a portion of the crispy bacon onto Cora's plate.

"Oh,nice." Cora said, shrugging. "Have fun."


	9. Chapter 9

When he had finished his breakfast, Stiles helped Derek wash up the dishes. He walked down the hall to his own apartment. Scott was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal. When Scott saw his roommate enter, he jumped to his feet.

"Where have you been?" Scott asked him, concerned. "I called your dad this morning when I saw you weren't in your room. He told me about the broken elevator last night. Are you okay?"

"I slept over at Derek's. He lives next door." Stiles said, casually. He sat down beside Scott, and started to fidget with his house key.

Scott beamed at him. "Is that the guy you were trapped with last night?"

"Yeah," Stiles said. "I think I'm in love, Scotty."

"Wait, when you say you 'slept over', did you two, y'know, do it?" Scott asked, curious.

"No, we didn't have sex." Stiles laughed. "But damn, is he ever a great kisser. Holy shit."

Scott crammed the rest of his cereal into his mouth, and hurried to his room to get dressed. His shift was starting in an hour.

"You need to tell me all the details tonight," Scott said, clapping a hand on Stiles' shoulder. "I wanna meet this guy."

"Actually, we're going out for dinner tonight at Six PM," Stiles told him, proudly. "First date."

"What do you call being stuck in an elevator for hours? That could be your first date, technically." Scott said, as he grabbed his helmet out of the front closet.

"An unfortunate incident," Stiles told him. "With a very fantastic silver lining."

Derek knocked at precisely Six PM, dressed in a suit jacket and tie. Stiles let Derek in, and introduced him to Scott. He ran back into his bedroom to finish getting ready. Stiles could hear Scott chatting up Derek, and he smiled as he laced up his sneakers. He was glad that his best friend liked Derek. Scott was a good judge of character, and his friend's opinion was very important to him.

"Let's go, we don't want to be late." Stiles said, ushering Derek out the door. He turned his head and saw Scott give him a double thumbs up of approval.

"Bye, Scott." Stiles said, grinning as he closed the door.

"Which restaurant are we going to?" He asked, as they got into Derek's car. It was a nice night out, so Stiles lowered the window so he could stick his hand in the breeze.

"I was thinking of that new place that just opened up a few weeks ago – Jack's Steakhouse." Derek told him.

Stiles nodded. "That sounds awesome."

The restaurant was packed, nearly every table was full. Stiles and Derek were escorted to a booth in the back of the restaurant. They ordered steak and salad, and then waited for their food.

"Your sister seems nice," Stiles said.

"So's your roommate."

Stiles glanced around the room, taking in the decor. There was a large fish tank on the wall opposite their booth, and he watched the algae eater move sluggishly along the bottom of the aquarium.

"This place is really nice," Stiles commented. "The new management really fixed it up."

"Mm –hmm." Derek agreed, taking a sip of his ice water.

"Here you go," the waitress said, placing the steaks in front of Stiles and Derek. "Enjoy!"

Stiles picked up his knife and fork, and started to cut away a section of the meat.

"Wow, this is really good." He said, savouring the taste.

The waitress came by their table at the end of the meal, leaving the check, and two striped mints. Derek slipped his credit card into the black folder, and handed it back to the woman.

"I got this," Derek said, grinning at Stiles.

"I thought we were going to split the cost?" Stiles asked, surprised.

"No. This'll be my treat."

Derek parked in his spot outside the apartment building, and turned to Stiles.

"You going home, or do you wanna come over to my place for a bit?" Derek asked.

"Your place."

"Alright," Derek said, cheerfully. They went upstairs, and into the apartment. Cora was in her room with the door closed. They headed straight to Derek's bedroom.

Stiles straddled Derek's waist, and he kissed the side of Derek's neck, enjoying hearing the older man moan. He slipped his hands under Derek's shirt, and caressed his muscled body.

"Dinner was awesome, by the way." Stiles told him, pulling Derek's shirt off. He started to kiss his way down Derek's chest.

"Shhh," Derek whispered. "My sister's sleeping in the next room. We have to keep it quiet."

Stiles smiled, and continued to kiss him. Derek lifted Stiles' shirt over his head, and threw it down to the floor.

"When do you get off work tomorrow? We could go see a movie." Derek said, sitting up and reaching for Stiles' hand.

"I would love to," Stiles said. "Now – less talking, and more kissing."


End file.
